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MIDDLEBURY — Four people hospitalized after overdosing during a concert at Quassy Amusement Park over the weekend are expected to recover, police said.

Police responded to a mass casualty event during a concert at Quassy Amusement Park late Saturday that sent seven to the hospital.

Police believe that young partygoers at a concert put on by a Rhode Island company took the drug 2C-P, a powerful hallucinogenic, which overheats the body and can take effect 3 to 5 hours after it's taken. Police were called to Quassy Park, at 2132 Middlebury Road, at around 10:30 p.m. Saturday, near the end of the concert, which started at around 6 p.m.

Acting Middlebury Police Chief Richard Wildman said four people dropped from drug overdoses "almost at the same time."

Of the four, two were having seizures and a third was down.

The fourth, a man aged 17 or 18 years old according to police, was not breathing and had no pulse. Two police officers began administering CPR and used a defibrillator in an attempt to restart his heart.

Wildman said the young man was in critical condition at that point.

Two of the victims were being treated at Waterbury Hospital and two at Saint Mary's Hospital in Waterbury. In less than 10 hours, Wildman had checked in twice on the four, the last time at around 10 a.m. on Sunday. Wildman said on that last check he was told by hospital officials that all four will be OK.

"At least the kid is going to make it. That's what I care about," Wildman said Sunday night.

About 30 officers including some from Naugatuck, Woodbury, Watertown, State Police officers from Troop A and Troop L, responded to the mass casualty scene.

Wildman said with four people dropping at once he feared things would get a lot worse.

"We just didn't know just how many kids were going to drop," Wildman said.

Police used cadaver dogs to search the park "to make sure a victim who may have overdosed didn't get overlooked. At 12:12 a.m., all was quiet and secure," Wildman said in a press release after the incident.

About 1,200 people were at Quassy for the concert. Police shut down the concert and the park was cleared in an orderly fashion with only one arrest.

Kyle Stoddard, 30, of New Milford was charged with interfering with an officer while they were trying to treat the overdose victims, police said.

Wildman said the overdose victims were not from Middlebury or the greater Waterbury area.

Wildman said they could determine what drug was taken by interviewing people at the concert.

Wildman said police had not dealt with the drug in question. Nor have police ever dealt with something like this at Quassy Park.

In a statement issued on Sunday, a spokesman said "Quassy Amusement Park allowed an outside promotion company to host an event at the park.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with those individuals involved in the unfortunate incident," read an e-mail from Ron Gustafson, spokesman for Quassy.

Quassy carefully scrutinized the history of the production firm, and indications were the company had presented numerous similar events without incident.

"The park is grateful for the Middlebury Police and emergency responders for the handling of this incident," Gustafson wrote.

Quassy was open for business at regular hours on Sunday and packed with visitors taking advantage of sunny weather.

Saturday's show at Quassy Park, called Adventure Land, was put together by Tight Crew, a production crew from Rhode Island. The six-hour show on four stages was open to people 16 and older, with a beer garden for those over 21. It featured bands and entertainers including: DJ Knowledge, Nicky Twist and Midas, according to the Tight Crew website.

According to the Tight Crew website, those attending were reminded to be respectful of neighbors.

"This is the first event at this venue, and we'd love to be able to come back! Rave Right, Rave Tight!" according to the Tight Crew website.

Contact Lauresha Xhihani at lxhihani@rep-am.com, on Facebook at RA Cheshire or on Twitter at RA_Lauresha.

FOR BOX:

The drug known as 2C-P, thought to be the cause of the overdoses at Quassy Park, is a synthetic hallucinogen, part of what the Drug Enforcement Administration calls the "2C family" (dimethoxyphenethylamines). According to Alexander Shulgin, who first synthesized the drug, 2C-P is the nickname for 2,5-dimethoxy. Shulgin, an American pharmacologist who is credited with introducing MDMA ("ecstasy") to psychologists for therapeutic use, claims that 2C-P produces intense hallucinations, including "open-eye visualizations and closed-eye visualizations." The drug works slowly at first, not reaching the peak of its effects for 3 to 5 hours. The full duration of a 2C-P "trip" can last as long as 16 hours. Those who use it have compared its effects to "a mix between LSD and ecstasy." The side effects of the drug, besides hallucinations, include severe headaches, physical/muscular pain and overheating.

" Raves are notorious for drugs and stuff like that. Obviously Quassy put profits ahead of the community and common sense by hosting a rave. Shame on them being a family park, they were lucky none of them were driving and killed innocent people on the way home. Hopefully the town looks a at their permits and puts more community control on the types of events they host because you have to have your head in the ground not to know Raves are infamous for drug abuse. Duhhh. "

" Quassy is a great place, George Frantzis is a good guy, and there is nothing wrong with making a profit. The above quote about him putting profit ahead of the community is completely out of line. But it sure wasn't smart hosing an event like this when even Rod Taylor wouldn't touch something like this at his somewhat notorious ski area in Woodbury.

The next time he wants to try something new Mr. Frantzis should consult his employees. The kids know what's up, and if he had done that they certainly would have schooled him. I'm sure he would have stayed away from it, but hind-sight is always 20-20. "

" WOW !! I can't wait until they come out with 3C-P.Then these stupid kids will be eliminated from society. But will the rest of these young people get the message after hundreds die? I doubt it.Hey, Malloy. How about banning this drug, you lousy gun grabber. "

" Here's the deal. Everyone knows Raves are a drug culutre. I happen to think the music sucks but I'm no longer a teen. Anyway, parents need to know that this is happening at all these Raves. You need to educate your kids, be educated yourself. You need to make sure they know how dangerous these drugs are so they know not to take them. My belief here contrary to some others is how/why do you blame Quassy? They provided a venue for a concert. IF this didn't happen it would have been a nice thing. You cannont place blame on Quassy for what Idiot kids ingest before coming to the venue. What if it was an Elvis tribute band and this happened? It doesn't really matter who was playing. The venue cannot be responsible for people's actions prior to arriving. "

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